Dec. 31, 2010 12:00 a.m. | Many people have “losing weight” or “start a fitness program” on their New Year’s resolution list.

So off they go to purchase treadmills and weights, join health clubs and stock up on sprouts and tofu.

But there are so many ways to stay fit that are both fun and inexpensive.

In winter, there are lots of places in Waukesha County to ice skate including the Mullett Ice Center in Merton, Eble Ice Arena in Brookfield, Naga-Waukee Park Ice Arena in Delafield.

Retzer Nature Center has snowshoe rentals to let you try something new on the snow. If you’ve never been on snowshoes, sign up for the Winter Wildlife on Snowshoes events scheduled for Jan. 15, 29 and Feb. 12, 19 and 26.

Dec. 28, 2010 8:30 p.m. | Arrowhead's varsity boys basketball team improved to 8-2 on the season Tuesday afternoon by scoring a 64-48 win over Wauwatosa East in the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook Shootout at Concordia University.

The Warhawks led 21-10 after the first period and never trailed.

Charlie Fischer and Charles Rushamn led the Warhawks with 16 points each. Ryan May had 10 points and Ricky Lovett added 8.

Dec. 28, 2010 6:25 p.m. | Arrowhead's varsity boys hockey team, taking part in the RBC Showdown at Wilson Park in Milwaukee on Monday and Tuesday, split its first two games in the three-day tournament.

On Monday the Warhawks defeated Whitefish Bay Coop, 3-2. On Tuesday, they lost to Milwaukee Marquette, 4-1. AHS is now 6-5-1 on the season.

Arrowhead will play at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee on Wednesday in the third-place game at noon.

In the win over Whitefish Bay Coop, Colton Sweitzer, Brady Vassar and Cal Essig scored goals. Will Reiland and Vassar had assists. Nick Fisher turned back 16 of 18 shots in the goal for the Warhawks.

On Tuesday, Vassar scored the lone goal (Sweitzer had the assist) as Marquette led 2-1 after the first period and never looked back.

Waukesha – A 35-year-old Village of Mukwonago man was charged this afternoon with sixth-drunken driving after he rolled his vehicle, with his young son in the vehicle, on Highway 83 in the Town of Mukwonago Christmas morning.

Jeffrey G. Gleiss of 227 Arrowhead Drive, who is being held on $10,000 cash bail in Waukesha Count Jail, was also charged with a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer as well as the felony charge of operating while intoxicated- sixth offense, with a minor child in the vehicle.

According to the criminal complaint, Gleiss was driving north on Highway 83 when his vehicle apparently left the road and into a ditch and then hit a road hazard sign, knocking it down, straddled a culvert for a driveway and then the vehicle rolled onto its roof near Sugden Road at about 10:30 a.m.

A Town of Mukwonago officer arrived and found the vehicle on its side and a 5-year-old boy in the vehicle.

Dec. 24, 2010 12:00 a.m. | So what are you doing Christmas Day? Perhaps you’re going to church and opening presents with the family in the morning. In the afternoon, maybe you’re hosting a gathering of friends and family or are invited to a festive dinner.

Or maybe you’re resigned to just spend a quiet day at home, but are looking for a festive way to spend the holiday. You might know of a homebound person who could use some cheering up this Christmas.

Enter a host of Christmas angels.

In the spirit of the season, St. Jerome Parish and Dr. Martin Luther Church in Oconomowoc are teaming up for their 21st Annual Jingle Bell Dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Christmas Day.

Volunteers from both churches will cook and serve community members at St. Jerome Parish School, 1001 S. Silver Lake St., Oconomowoc. The meal is free to all.

United Way in Waukesha County’s Board of Directors approved an emergency funding request received from the Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.

The Chamber reached out to United Way in Waukesha County when the organization learned that 85 individuals and families in the Oconomowoc area are without a home and living in their cars due to economic difficulties.

United Way in Waukesha County’s funding will provide the individuals in need with basic need resources supplies such as sleeping bags, personal hygiene items/toiletries and other immediate emergency needs.

John Schiraj, director of impact strategies & results at United Way in Waukesha County, said, “It was important for us to respond to this emergency as we look to support all areas of the county. We are thankful for the quick action taken by our Board to approve the request.”

An URGENT COMMUNITY NEEDS FUND for the Oconomowoc residents in need has been established at First Financial Bank Centre. Donations are greatly appreciated and can be submitted at any first Financial Bank Centre branch in Oconomowoc (155 W. Wisconsin Avenue; W359 N5900 Brown Street; 1300 Summit Avenue, Suite 100).

Read more about this issue in the story "Work continues to address homeless issue" by reporter Donna Frake,

Waukesha – There will be one trial in the murder-for-hire case that resulted in the brutal death of Kimberly Smith in her City of Oconomowoc home Oct. 1, 2009.

Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge James R. Kieffer ruled this morning that Darren Wold, 42, Jack E. Johnson, 66, and Justin P. Welch, 27, will be tried at the same time.

Kieffer ruled in favor of a prosecutor’s motion to join the cases for one trial and denied defense attorneys’ motions to sever the cases.

According to prosecutors, Wold, formerly of Waukesha, allegedly sent money to Johnson of Mexico, who in turn allegedly hired Welch, 27, of California, to kill Smith. All three men are charged with first-degree homicide. Gloves and a knife from Smith’s kitchen were found in a storm sewer near her Smith’s house. DNA and fingerprints linked Welch to the murder.

Dec. 22, 2010 12:58 p.m. | Businesses, community leaders, and local relief agencies are joining forces to create immediate, short-term solutions for Oconomowoc area families and individuals in crisis. Economic difficulties have put many local families and singles into hardship situations. People need help with basic living needs, such as food and medications. Some have become homeless or are on the verge of eviction.

A special emergency fund has been established to accept monetary donations at all three First Bank Financial Centre locations in Oconomowoc, entitled URGENT COMMUNITY NEEDS FUND.

The Oconomowoc Food Pantry will also be accepting non-perishable, ready-to-eat food in support of this community relief effort

Dec. 22, 2010 11:36 a.m. | A water main break at Renson Road and Nixon Avenue has closed the intersection, the Village of Hartland is reporting. Parents should use an alternate route when picking up children from Hartland North Elementary School. Water has been shut off on Renson and Hazel Lane until 4 p.m.

Dec. 20, 2010 9:26 p.m. | After listening to several residents argue the constitutionality of the law that forces districts to change logos and nicknames that are determined to promote discrimination and pupil harassment after a complaint is filed against the district, the Mukwonago Area School District Board of Education decided to postpone beginning the process of making the change at the high school.

With a suit over the logo challenge scheduled for an injunction hearing on Feb. 2, the board will revisit the matter at its Feb. 28 meeting.

Dec. 20, 2010 2:22 p.m. | Assuming the weather cooperates by providing a clear sky (and that seems questionable, in light of the forecast, which calls for snow and freezing rain overnight), sky-watchers in Lake Country (and across North America) will be treated to a rare total lunar eclipse.

The eclipse will begin at 12:33 p.m. and will continue through 5:01 a.m., according to Accuweather.com.

Snow is expected to spread over Southeastern Wisconsin from late Monday afternoon into the evening. It will transition to freezing drizzle late Monday night or Tuesday morning. The NWS is predicting snow accumulations of 2 to 3 inches of snow.

Roads may be snow-covered and icy by Monday afternoon or early evening. Roads should improve by late Tuesday morning as temperatures warm above freezing.

A City of Pewaukee man, already convicted six times for drunken driving, was found guilty Friday in the Aug. 1, 2008 fatal crash that killed an Elm Grove man and injured two others.

Daniel P. Henningsen, 44, was found guilty by Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge James R. Kieffer. Henningsen chose to have Kieffer, rather than a jury, decide his case. A four-day trial ended Dec. 9.

Henningsen was driving west on Capitol Drive in the City of Brookfield when his Oldsmobile van struck a Jeep puling out from Mountain Drive at about 12:15 a.m., according to the criminal complaint. Pronounced dead at the scene was William E. Gray, 51, of Elm Grove. Gray’s wife, Kelley and his sister-in-law, Lori Borden were injured.

Dec. 17, 2010 12:00 a.m. | There are many benevolent figures connected with Christmas. For most people, Santa Claus is the one that comes readily to mind.

But there is another figure that also appears this time of year – Father Christmas. Many other countries have versions of Father Christmas, such as Pere Noel in France and Babbo Natale in Italy. And while Santa prefers his red costume, Father Christmas traditionally wore a bright green suit.

We rarely get to see Father Christmas around here, but this weekend you’ll get your chance. Old World Wisconsin is hosting Breakfast with Father Christmas at its beautiful Clausing Barn from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Children will get a chance to meet Father Christmas and everyone will enjoy a hearty buffet breakfast that includes garden quiche, baked French toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, breakfast potatoes, homemade breads and sweets and fresh fruit plus a carving station featuring roast whole turkey. To truly make it an old-fashioned Christmas dinner there will even be roasted chestnuts.

Kids will also get a stocking stuffer from Father Christmas as well as photos to always remember the special occasion.

The Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department is celebrating the upcoming holiday season with its first Shop with a Sheriff program at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, at the Waukesha Walmart, 2000 S. West Ave., Waukesha.

Through donations from Jon McAlpine from Jani King Commercial Cleaning Services, Timothy True from ICMA-RC Services and Walmart, the Waukesha Deputy Sheriff’s Association and the Waukesha County Health and Human Services have organized this event to help children in need purchase gifts for their families.

Deputies from the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department will be teaming up with children from Waukesha County to purchase holiday gifts for their family members as well as something for themselves.

For additional information, contact Lt. Torin Misko of the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department at (262) 896-8154.

Dec. 15, 2010 2:31 p.m. | An apparent foul-up in the crossing lights at the railroad tracks on Cottonwood Avenue in Hartland is causing some traffic congestion.

The lights at the crossing are flashing, and one of the arms is down, but there does not appear to be a train in the vicinity. Traffic is backed up, and cars are starting to go through the crossing despite the warning signs.

Waukesha – Former Lisbon supervisor James C. Stadler, convicted in 2008 for wielding a gun with his wife and children home, was sentenced this afternoon to seven years in prison for violating conditions of his probation.

Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Kathleen B. Stilling also ordered Stadler to five years of extended supervision after serving his time in prison.

In February 2008 a jury found Stadler guilty of felony intimidation of a witness and misdemeanor counts of pointing a firearm at another, three counts of possession of a switchblade and disorderly conduct while possessing a dangerous weapon. He was sentenced in May 2008 to five years probation by Judge J. Mac Davis who ordered him not to possess any weapons, have any contact with his then wife, Lynn, or eldest daughter unless they agree in writing to have contact with him.

Stadler ran into trouble with the law when he removed the battery cable and spark plug wires on his second-wife’s car earlier this year to prevent her from leaving the residence and he possessed various weapons, according to court documents.

Dec. 13, 2010 5:33 a.m. | Bitter cold has swept into the area after the weekend's snow and wind. A wind chill advisory is in effect until 11 a.m. Winds are expected to continue from the northwest at 10 to 20 mph, driving the wind chill to -15 to -20.

There are no reported closings in Lake Country this morning. Keep up to date on closings here.

Snowplows hit the roads in the Town of Mukwonago Sunday morning as winds increase and temperatures start to drop. A vehicle heads south on Highway E, just south of North Prairie, Sunday morning. The highway was wet with patches of snow and subdivision roads were snow-covered in the Town.

Waukesha County and the Mukwonago area dodged the heaviest snowfall during the weekend storm, however, the State of Wisconsin advises against driving anywhere in the state if not necessary on Sunday.

Dec. 11, 2010 10:05 p.m. | Lake Country remains under a blizzard warning tonight, as the rain that fell throughout the day gives way to snow. The warning is in effect until 6 p.m. Sunday, with snow accumulation expected to reach 4 to 9 inches and strong winds making conditions worse throughout the day Sunday. The National Weather Service cautions that whiteout conditions and some impassable roads are expected. Law enforcement officials suggest residents should avoid travel, if possible.

Dec. 10, 2010 3:32 p.m. | The Village of Big Bend Fire Department received its Emergency Medical Services Provider license this week, which will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 18. The certification authorizes the department to engage in providing emergency medical services to residents.

The department will swear in John Ludwig as its new Chief at 7:30 a.m. on Dec. 18, as the new Big Bend Fire Department goes into action.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch from Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. A mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain is expected to develop late tonight and Saturday morning. It may turn to rain for a time, and will then change to snow Saturday afternoon. Snow may be moderate to heavy, and gusty winds mean blowing and drifting is expected Saturday night and Sunday.

Snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are possible before it all wraps up Sunday night. Higher accumulation is expected in the northern parts of Waukesha and Jefferson counties.

The area will be hit with a second punch going into the start of next week, as frigid temperatures are expected to follow the weekend's precipitation. Wind chills of -15 to -30 are expected Sunday night into Monday.

The National Weather Service noted that the track of the storm remains somewhat uncertain. "A slight shift north or south will impact snow amounts and the amount of mixed precipitation," it said in a news release. "The most uncertain area is along the populated I-94 corridor from Madison to Milwaukee."

Fink announced his plans Sunday at the football team's postseason banquet. He has been piloting the football program for 13 years and has served as AD for nine years.

The Lasers missed the football postseason the past two seasons on the heels of a first-round upset victory over Sun Prairie in the 2008 playoffs and a 7-3 season the year before. His career mark at KM is 57-66.

Dec. 09, 2010 11:03 a.m. | Waukesha – A judge this morning denied a temporary injunction sought by two Mukwonago School District residents to prevent the changing of the school’s Indian logo.

Waukesha County Circuit Court Judge Donald Hassin said the plaintiffs, Craig Vertz and James Schoolcraft, did not show that there is a likelihood the state law was unconstitutional and that they have suffered irreparable harm because of the state’s mandate to change the logo.

Attorney Samuel C. Hall, representing Vertz and Schoolcraft, argued that when the state mandated this summer that the district change the logo because it stereotyped Native Americans, residents were denied due process; the school district has spent $17,000 to comply with the order, and that the cost ultimately will be passed onto the taxpayers thus causing the taxpayers irreparable harm; and the process to force the change is unconstitutional. Hall argued there are no rules to the process.

Attorney Clayton Kawski, representing the state Department of Public Instruction, argued the residents did have due process through its elected officials on the School Board, there are rules to the process and they were followed, and showing the law is unconstitutional requires a high burden of proof.

Hassin said any law adopted by the Legislature has a "strong presumption it is constitutional," and the plaintiffs did not show a "likelihood of success" in proving it is unconstitutional, he said.

There are many sounds, too, that we hear this time of year. Perhaps one of the most unmistakable sounds of the season is the ringing of bells. We hear the gentle tinkling of the Salvation Army’s bells during their Red Kettle campaign. If we’re lucky enough to take a horse-drawn carriage or sleigh ride during the season, we might hear the bells jingling from the horses’ sides as they trot along.

By far the most beautiful sounds from bells come from handbell choirs. Besides being a treat for the ears, it is most entertaining to watch the musicians in their white gloves deftly handling the sparkling golden instruments. And the sound that emits from these chambers is pure joy. It seems ash though they simply cannot produce an unpleasant sound.

This weekend, the Lake Country Ringers will present its 2010 holiday handbell concert, Christmas Bells are Ringing. The program will be presented at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at Atonement Lutheran Church, S70 W16244 Martin Drive in Muskego and at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12 at Southminster Presbyterian Church 200 Richard St. in Waukesha.

Each concert includes seasonal, holiday and humorous music that is sure to delight even the most cynical Scrooges at this most wonderful time of the year.

Dec. 07, 2010 10:37 p.m. | The Kettle Moraine boys basketball team won a barn-burner over Catholic Memorial on Tuesday, 49-48, rallying back from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

The win was the first for the Lasers (1-2) under temporary head coach Reid Chase.

KM hit nine three-pointers in the game, including five consecutive makes from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, giving the Lasers a lead after CMH took a 44-30 advantage with the first basket of the final quarter.

Memorial reclaimed the lead and held it with 30 seconds left, when Jon Galando picked up a loose ball and got fouled at the 18-second mark. He made both freebies sandwiched around a timeout, and KM recorded a defensive stop to best the defending Division 2 state champions.

Kyle Kita finished with a team-high 17 points. He and Matt Hoppe each delivered two fourth-quarter 3-pointers, and Galando provided the other.

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train will be arriving in Hartland at 9 p.m. Wednesday. A story published in the Tuesday Lake Country Reporter gave an incorrect time. The train will pull in near the old train depot site on Pawling Avenue.

Residents are encouraged to bring donations to the food pantry to the event. All food and money raised will stay in the community for local distribution.

Dec. 06, 2010 5:07 p.m. | The Town of East Troy Police Department released a sketch on Sunday of a man wanted for an attempted home invasion on Thursday.

Police said that a man armed with a handgun knocked at a house on Walnut Street in the Miramar subdivision on Dec. 2. When the resident answered the door, the man pointed the handgun at the person and then fled.

According to police reports, the man is described as 16 to 20 years old, about 6 feet tall with ear-length brown hair and some facial hair. He was wearing blue jeans, a dark blue down-type winter coat and gray tennis shoes.

The East Troy School District went on external lockdown as a precaution because of the invasion and the age of the suspect, according to police.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the East Troy police at (262) 642-3700.

The store originally known as Gaglianos was owned by Cerillo Foods before Susie and Jason Steiner of the Steinergroup of Cudahy took over operations earlier this year and full ownership in July 2010.

A letter from the Delafield Fine Foods Team on the door stated, "It is with regret we must inform you that Delafield Fine Foods will be closing permanently Dec. 4, 2010." They thanked the patrons for support and loyalty and were "saddened and disappointed" about the closing.

The Steiners own several buildings in downtown Delafield and stated that they are throughly committed to the area and "don't want the closing of the store to send the wrong message."

Questions should be directed to Nathan Schroeder of the Steinergroup at (414) 766-9575.

Dec. 03, 2010 9:54 a.m. | Santa came early to a lucky person who purchased a Powerball ticket for the Dec.1 drawing at the Speedway gas station in Oconomowoc.

According to a release for the Wisconsin Lottery, this marks the fourth time this year a Powerball ticket sold in Wisconsin is worth $1 million to the lucky winner, thanks to Powerball’s Power Play prize multiplier feature.

The ticket matched all five regular winning numbers in the Powerball drawing to earn the ticket holder a $200,000 prize. But, because the player also purchased the Power Play prize multiplier feature, the $200,000 prize was automatically multiplied by five.

Power Play turned the $200,000 ticket into a $1 million winner.

The ticket-holder has 180 days from Wednesday’s drawing to claim the prize at the Lottery’s headquarters in Madison.

Dec. 03, 2010 9:44 a.m. | According to a press release from Wisconsin Emergency Management, the State of Wisconsin is monitoring the first winter storm of the season that will hit southern Wisconsin tonight. The National Weather Service has issued Winter Storm Warnings and Advisories from Eau Claire to the Milwaukee area.

The storm system is expected to move into the state by late afternoon and will continue thru Saturday afternoon. Forecasters are expecting 4-6 inches of snow.

Motorists should be prepared to adjust travel plans and take extra precautions. The snow will impact travel Friday evening through Saturday morning. Current winter road conditions are available at www.511wi.gov or call 511.

In addition, motorists should have a winter emergency kit in their vehicle with a shovel, flashlight, blanket, hat and gloves, and snacks. A complete list of items is available at http://ReadyWisconsin.wi.gov.

Both the Wisconsin National Guard’s Joint Operations Center (JOC) and the Wisconsin Emergency Management 24 Hour Duty Officer will monitor the storms. The State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will not be activated at this time; however that could change if conditions should deteriorate.

Dec. 02, 2010 11:18 p.m. | With one match to go and Arrowhead's wrestling team needing a pin, the Warhawks were nonetheless facing a best-case scenario.

Defending state champion Jake Sueflohn recorded a pin in the final match at 152 pounds, guiding the Warhawks to a 36-34 win over Mukwonago in a dual that annually seems to determine the eventual Classic 8 Conference champion. The Warhawks won the clash for the fourth straight year, and all of those matches came down to the last of 14 bouts.

Sueflohn topped Mukwonago's Tyler Zamzow in 1 minute, 16 seconds, one of several pins on the evening. Perhaps just as large as Sueflohn's win was Cory Cinelli at 119 pounds, who shocked MHS senior Garrett Gutenberger by recording a second-period pin while facing a 4-1 deficit.

Mukwonago got pins from Blake Vick and Tyler Ladwig at 189 pounds and 285, respectively, taking a 16-9 lead after four matches. AHS responded with three wins in four rounds -- including pins by Andrew Crone, Adam Yde and Cinelli -- to build a lead as large as 30-22.

MHS sophomore Joe Mattson took a 9-0 lead over Mitchell Berenz at 135 but had to ward off a nearfall situation that lasted for well over a minute in the third period. Mattson ultimately prevailed, followed by a win from Kirk Zylke and a pin by Jordan Treuer to give MHS a glimmer of hope heading into the final round, with a 34-30 lead. Hank Mattson also won by pin on the evening.

As we all know, Moore’s vision is pure fantasy, but one that has been cherished around Christmas time for years.

First of all, reindeer, also known as caribou, are not tiny at all. They weigh a couple hundred pounds and don’t normally get very far off the ground. In actually, reindeer did pull something called a “pulk,” sort of a toboggan, in the region of Lapland.

And both the males and females do have those huge, gorgeous antlers you see in pictures around this time of year.

But did you ever really see one up close? A real-live Dasher, Dancer, Prancer or Vixen?

Richards said he has been "wrestling" with the decision to resign for some time and "I continue to wrestle with it at this moment."

A key moment in his decision making came after the Nov. 2 election in which town residents shot down a referendum by nine votes for a new $4 million firehouse off Golf Road.

"The referendum was one of the straws that broke the camel’s back," Richards said.

"I must be honest in reporting that the referendum and other factors surrounding our attempt to build a new Station 1 was quite simply the last straw for me," Richards wrote. "Based on recent meetings, I have had to acknowledge that we may have to go back to the drawing board and start a 10-year process with five design iterations all over again. Humbly, I admit that I simply don't have the energy to do this, and I would be a detriment to the process if I stayed around."

"...the failure to address Station 1's problems has just claimed its first casualty," he added.

Chili Lunch and Pie Auction: 10 a.m. March 22, Zion Lutheran Church, N557 Main St., Ashippun. The annual event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information call the church office at (920) 474-7234 or www.zionashippun.org